January 13, 2015

Francesco Berta, Replica's and miniature village scenes

Above picture shows a nativity scene, part of a indoor art environment in Viú, a hamlet of the community of Cantoira, north of Torino (Turin) in Italy (prov. Piemonte).

Life and works

The miniature village was made by Francesco Berta (1924-2001), who was born in Viú and lived there all his life. Known as Cichin, he worked at the cable car of the regional mining company and he also was active as farmer, mainly producing his own food.

In 1962 he began creating a nativity scene. sculpting the various characters from wood. As a space he could use a classroom of the no longer used village school. His sister Onorina assisted him by making the dresses. The ensemble became known as Il presepe di Vrú, or as Betlemme delle Valli di Lanze.

In the course of the next twenty years the nativity scene would grow into a miniature village of some forty characters, who all together represent life in former days in the countryside, with the miller, the blacksmith, the laundress, and so on.

Both the dresses and the architecture of the cabins and houses truly reflect the style as usual in the region.

A special feature of the miniature ensemble is that some of the depicted characters can make movements, an effect Berta realized by means of the engine of an old washing machine.